ABA partnered with the National Grain and Feed Association and 72 other organizations in a letter to the House and Senate Agriculture Committee chairs outlining the need for non-environmentally sensitive land to come out of the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The group also provided a white paper, Expanding American Agriculture: Can It, Should It, & Will It Be Done?, prepared by William J. Hudson, The ProExporter Network®, that analyzes the current market situations and conditions that could cause serious problems of basic grain/oilseed supplies and potential volatile price movements. The paper reflects on some major risk factors for global grain supplies in 2011 and beyond.

Read the full letter 

ABA Calls on FDA to Apply Regulatory Flexibility Act to FSMA Implementation 

ABA, as part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Food Safety Coalition, sent a letter to FDA urging the agency to integrate and apply the principles of Executive Order 13563 and the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) in every step of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) guidance and rulemaking process. This letter re-emphasized the dialogue ABA and other coalition members had with FDA's Deputy Commissioner Mike Taylor in April. The Coalition believes Executive Order 13563 and RFA together provide the tools and principles needed to modernize the food safety regulatory system in a balanced and cost-effective manner, consistent with Congressional intent.

The Coalition's comments stressed FDA should: 

• Formulate guidance and rules using a scientifically sound, risk-based approach 
• Continue to involve stakeholders in the regulatory process
• Ensure inter-agency integration and promote innovation 
• Adopt the least burdensome and most flexible regulatory approaches
• Ensure all guidance and rules are based on a reasoned determination that costs justify benefits
• Develop and employ objective metrics for regulatory efficacy incorporating robust transparency and stakeholder participation
• Implement FSMA as Congress intended - in a common-sense manner

ABA joined with other food industry partners in a letter of support for action on a variety of trade initiatives, including swift approval and implementation of free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. The letter went to Senate and House leadership, trade and agriculture committees. As the House Agriculture Committee meets on May 12, with both USDA and USTR to discuss the trade agreements, this joint letter is very well timed to voice the interests and support of the packaged food and beverage industry on these critical agreements.

Read the full letter 

Check out the 2011 Convention Photo Gallery!

Check Out the Digital Edition of the 2011 Convention Bulletin!

 

ABA is taking the unprecedented step of asking all bakers to immediately contact the CFTC to implement rules enforcing contract limits on index funds. Please take a couple of minutes to visit ABA's RisetoAction.org grassroots Web site. The risk to your business is too great to not invest those couple of minutes.

      

"Our reusable plastic pallets, totes, dunnage and bulk systems improve the flow of product to reduce costs, enhance profitability and add sustainability."

Contact: Ken Rivard | (708) 460-9105 
ken.rivard@orbiscorporation.com

www.orbiscorporation.com

Upcoming ABA Meetings 

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